The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is proud to welcome trombonist Michael Cox to its Brass Department beginning in fall of 2026.

Cox holds the principal chair with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra (SFOO) and second trombone with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra (SFBO), having previously served as principal trombone of the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) and principal trombone of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO).

Cox grew up in the Chicago area, known for a rich history of orchestral brass playing at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). He began his studies with Bill Walsh and Chip De Stefano, former students of Frank Crisafulli, a 58-year-veteran of the CSO. Following his graduate studies, Cox joined the QCSO, and after a year playing in that ensemble, he secured his role with the LPO. But Cox was only in New Orleans for four months before SFBO principal trombonist Jeffrey Budin reached out to him (via Facebook), having remembered Cox from his prior audition with the ensemble.

With roots in the Midwest and time in New England and New Orleans, Cox has a breadth of experience across the U.S., but distills that to a concise set of priorities: "Use your ears, have the sound you want in your head at all times, and always sing beautiful phrases. I look for students who have a song in their playing."

Cox also spent time teaching through El Sistema, and says the organization—largely aimed at introducing music education to underserved communities—and through that, "learned a lot about the actual role that music can play in people's lives, and that lesson I think will extend for my entire life. Encouraging those students to understand how special music can be, even if you're not doing it all the time or have your eye on a professional career."

Asked what he hopes to impart to SFCM students, Cox says, "Whenever I've been presented with a challenge and thought to myself, 'I can't do that. There's no way I can do that,' I've never once regretted pushing through that. I've pretty much always surprised myself in finding out, 'Oh, actually, I guess I am capable of that.' I'm really, really looking forward to working with students who have decided that music is what they are focusing on, what draws them in, what has driven them in their lives."

Of course, the flip side of that, as he says, is that "you have to be okay with failing sometimes. That's just how it is. It's going to happen to every artist for the rest of their lives. There's just such a spectrum of different levels of success."

He continues, "I'm really looking forward to getting into these things with some very hardworking, intelligent, determined students. And they are all those things at SFCM. I have not met one person here who is not hardworking, intelligent and talented. So especially at this level, I think there's no limit to the musical possibilities. It's infinite."

Learn more about studying brass at SFCM.